Protecting and serving

One of the political races that has seen more commentary than others is the five-candidate race for Hot Springs County Sheriff. In the various campaigns and forums, a topic that sees a lot of discussion is what is being done about the drug problem in Hot Springs County, and rightly so.

If there’s one problem that doesn’t seem to have a solution, it’s drugs. As soon as one method of dealing with the issue is found, dealers and users seem to find 10 other ways to get around the law. It can feel like a hopeless battle, but I applaud our local law enforcement for the large number of recent busts they had. People may argue that officers aren’t doing enough to help curb the drug problem here, but though we aren’t getting instant results as some would like, they are working to address the issues.

Of course, there’s the prosecution of those arrested to take into consideration as well. The wheels of justice can certainly grind slowly, and often probation is given for multiple offenses. While such sentences do allow an opportunity for rehabilitation — which should be afford to everyone — there is also a time when jail is the only solution, and a way to lessen the drug problems here.

The busts seen this past week also speak to another issue brought up this election year — how the police and sheriff’s office work together. There’s been plenty of talk of how the two departments don’t see eye-to-eye. But the busts wouldn’t have been possible without local law enforcement teaming up.

There’s bound to be plenty more debate as to how well our law enforcement is doing in the next couple weeks, and even beyond the election, but this past week is pretty evident that the officers take their duties seriously and all are working to fulfill that basic duty “to protect and serve.”